


An Unyielded Notion

by carolinecrane



Series: ab initio [3]
Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-06
Updated: 2012-05-06
Packaged: 2017-11-04 22:21:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/398835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolinecrane/pseuds/carolinecrane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He can't stop thinking about her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unyielded Notion

She's got a little smudge of engine grease on her face, just below her left eye. It kind of makes her look like a linebacker, but it's cute too and Warrick ducks his head to hide his smile as she straightens up. And he's not sure how she ends up with dark smudges on her face every time she works in the garage, but he's not complaining, because he likes her best when she forgets herself long enough to get a little dirty.

The thought sends a jolt of warmth through him and he clears his throat, but if she notices his sudden discomfort she doesn't say anything. In fact, he's pretty sure she's oblivious, because she's grinning triumphantly and holding up what looks like part of the brake line. "This was definitely sabotage."

She looks so happy about it that he can't help grinning back at her, a soft chuckle escaping his throat at the sight of her looking like a kid in a candy store. "Good work. Next step's finding the tool used to cut the brake line."

"We can start with Pearson's garage, the warrant covers all his tools. Maybe we'll get lucky and the killer left us some evidence."

And he knows he's in trouble, because even when she's all business he can't help thinking how good she looks. Her hair's pinned back in a messy ponytail, grease smudging her skin and a pair of less than flattering coveralls hiding a body he knows better than he should, and all he can think is how much he wants to kiss her. 

She's nothing like the girls he usually dates. Not that he's been doing much of that lately, but back when he still had a social life it never included anyone like her. He's always liked a girl he could have a conversation with, but he's always thought of Sara as way too rigid and uptight, and the truth is he has no idea how they got here. Because he likes her – more than he wants to admit – but he never really planned to do anything about it.

Not when she was still carrying a torch for Grissom, and he never really got that, but he doesn't ask about it because he's pretty sure that topic's off limits. Anyway, he's not really sure he wants to know, like he doesn't want to know what it is Nick and Greg do with all their spare time these days. There are some questions better left unanswered, and it's a strange thing for a CSI to think, but he learned a long time ago that it's the truth.

That doesn't help him with his Sara problem, though, because they've been on exactly three dates and spent four nights together and this is the first time in his life he's not sure what to do next. He knows he wants to keep seeing her, wants to wake up next to her and run his hands down all that pale skin, wants to kiss her and taste himself on her lips and he wants to watch her over a cup of coffee after a long shift and know that they're going home together.

He wants a lot of things, but mostly right now he just wants to reach out and wipe at the smudge of engine grease on her cheek. He knows it won't do any good, but he does it anyway, murmuring a low _wait_ when she starts to turn away and curving the fingers of one hand under her chin. His thumb strokes at the smudge, managing to smear it a little more and fade it just a little, and the whole time she's watching him with that nervous expression he memorized a long time ago.

She's still nervous around him, and he's starting to think that's part of why he can't get her out of his head. And he's tried – he tried before they ever started this thing, and afterwards he tried to tell himself it was just a one-time thing. Except she was still there when he woke up, and he didn't expect to be so happy about it. Then he kissed her right in front of Nick and Greg and after that there was no taking anything back, and the weird thing is he doesn't want to.

Her hand comes up to cover his and he realizes he's still standing there with his hand on her face, just looking at her like he's seeing her for the first time. That's how it feels every time he looks at her now, because she lets him see things he's not even sure she knows she's revealing, and it makes him want things he's not sure he can have. But he shouldn't be thinking about any of this at work, and he clears his throat again and pulls his hand away from her cheek.

"You've got a little grease."

Instantly she flushes, hand flying up to cover the spot where his thumb was and it's all he can do not to kiss her. "Oh, God."

"Hey, I like a woman who's not afraid to get a little dirty," he says, laughing when she blushes even harder. 

She's trying not to smile, but it's not working and finally she gives up and shakes her head. "I'm gonna go change before we head back to the scene."

He thinks about telling her he'll meet her there, going on ahead and getting started on the search for their missing evidence. He knows that's what he _should_ do, what he'd do if it was Nick or Greg or even Catherine going to clean up before they headed out. But he's kind of looking forward to the ride over there, because they're still on the clock but it gives them a full twenty minutes alone together, so instead he just nods and lets her go.

And he knows he's in way over his head, but when Sara pauses in the doorway and turns to smile at him, he doesn't really care.


End file.
